The teacher is making a logical error. She is thinking "the students
here," or students like them, must be served in exactly the same
building, in exactly the way, four years hence.
That's not how the Philadelphia high-school system works these days and
that's certainly not the direction it's moving in. Students in West
Philadelphia who want a more-vocational curriculum will have high
schools that offer such curricula. So "the students here" of tomorrow
may want to attend those schools ... some of them, at least.
The School District thinks some West Philadelphia students -- along with
students from elsewhere in the city -- can also take an interest in
international relations, or in the theme of its sister
(Drexel-partnered?) school. Perhaps some of "the students here" will be
among their number, if they are exposed to this option.
To increase the educational options for a disadvantaged community is not
racist. Locking all kids into one set of expectations based solely on
race or class or neighborhood, could be racist.
-- Tony West
UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN wrote:
the dp article stated:
"The students who go here are not interested in international
business,"
social-studies teacher Lashundra Dixon said, suggesting a more
vocational
curriculum, such as nursing or mechanics.
"We have students who don't need a Ph.D., they need the skills to
take care
of the kids they already have," she said.
Kimm Tynan wrote:
Actually, I think the remark demonstrates disturbingly low
expectations by
this teacher.
I've been wondering about this for a while, and I think that the
teacher's remark is racist only to the extent to which penn's proposal
for this particular high school is racist. and that the teacher's
remark is pragmatic only to the extent that penn's proposal is pragmatic.
ie, let's locate more clearly where the expectations are, and why.
..................
UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN
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